Hearing in Rahul Gandhi defamation case postponed to January 22 due to lawyers' strike

The hearing in the defamation case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, scheduled for Friday at an MP-MLA court here, was postponed due to a strike by lawyers.
Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, representing complainant Vijay Mishra, stated that the special court's magistrate Shubham Verma has now scheduled the hearing for January 22 to complete cross-examination.
The case dates back to 2018 when Mishra, a local BJP politician, filed a defamation complaint against Gandhi. Mishra alleged that Gandhi made objectionable remarks during the Karnataka assembly elections that deeply hurt him.
After a prolonged five-year legal process, Gandhi failed to appear in court, leading the presiding judge in December 2023 to issue a warrant for his appearance. Gandhi surrendered before the court in February 2024.
On July 26, 2024, Gandhi's statement was recorded. The special magistrate granted him bail on two bonds of Rs 25,000 each. During his court appearance, Gandhi claimed innocence, alleging the charges were politically motivated. Subsequently, the court directed the complainant to present evidence.
The hearing initially scheduled for December 16, 2024, was postponed due to the absence of the presiding judge. Similarly, the January 2 hearing was deferred as the cross-examination could not be completed.